Detail of the eight-foot Conservancy banner displayed in front of the shipon Philadelphia's Columbus Boulevard

The new banner towers over the Conservancy's original sign for the ship,which was installed in April, 2005.

Latest News from the SS United States Conservancy

Greetings to all of our members and supporters!

We are pleased to report that the SS United States withstood the travails of Hurricane Irene with flying colors! Staff at Atlantic Logistics Services, our ship caretakers, had a sleepless night as the hurricane bore down on Philadelphia on August 28. The team assumed a 24-hour pier watch as the storm approached and also monitored the vessel with security cameras. Lines were added and tightened and extra inspections for watertight integrity were conducted.

By the time Irene struck Philadelphia, the storm had diminished to a Category 1 hurricane. However, Irene's torrential rains and tidal surge resulted in the Delaware River rising almost seven feet above normal levels. At one point, the Big U's pier was completely under water. Thanks to the wind direction, the vessel held snug to her pier as she rode out the storm.

The Conservancy recently erected a banner at the SS United States' pier and we are working on other enhancements to draw public attention to the vessel. If you find yourself in Philadelphia, please stop by and say hello to the ship! Unfortunately, she is docked at a working port, and post-September 11 security restrictions limit public access to outside the pier security area. However, visitors can still enjoy wonderful views of the "Big U" and there are a number of restaurants in the immediate vicinity.

The Conservancy has been very busy this summer. While much of our business development planning is being conducted behind the scenes, our education and outreach activities are picking up speed. As you will read below, the Conservancy is currently recruiting for several part-time positions to help us further enhance and expand our work. If you know of anyone passionate about the cause and qualified for these posts, please don't hesitate to send them our way!

As always, to make a tax-deductible donation in support of the Conservancy's predevelopment and historic preservation efforts, please click here.

Thank you so much for your support, and long live the SS United States!

The SS United States Conservancy hopes to fill three part-time positions as soon as possible and we would love your help in identifying great candidates for these important posts. Because of budget and office space constraints, all of these positions are part-time (up to 20 hours per week), and we hope to identify candidates who are able to carry out much of the work from a home-office setting. (Hopefully one day, we will be able to offer gleaming office space aboard the SS United States to our entire team!)

Click on the job titles below to download a PDF of a more detailed job description and application instructions. The current position vacancies include:

Marketing and Membership Associate - responsible for bolstering the Conservancy's marketing, merchandising, and membership initiatives in close partnership with our management and development teams.

The New York Islanders hockey team is graciously helping us raise money by sharing proceeds from ticket sales to their October 13th home game being played at the Nassau Coliseum. The SS United States Conservancy needs our help to promote this game and to sell a minimum of 250 tickets.

If New York City is going to be a contender in the search of a permanent home for the Big U we need to reach out to as many New Yorkers as possible. More people need to know what she was, what she is and what she can be in order to gain more (much needed) support from the Tri-State area.

A "Charity Game" at an NY Islanders' home in Nassau County is a great opportunity to reach out and introduce the SS United States to a new demographic of people in the area.

Please pass the word any way you can...reach out to friends and family who may be interested in taking in a game or buying tickets as gifts to help our cause. For those on Facebook, please share the link attached in this email as it directs people to where they can buy tickets via our secured page on the NY Islanders' website. The same for those who Twitter.

On Saturday, September 17th at 8:00pm, Susan Caccavale and the Conservancy's NY Chapter will be hosting a tablet at Madison's Martini Bar in East Northport, Long Island to promote the October 13th game. We need as many of the New York Chapter members there as possible to generate energy about the Big U and to sell hockey tickets.

Please RSVP to the New York chapter at nycssusc@gmail.com if you can join us on Sept. 17th to help us promote the SS United States' current plight and the Conservancy's NY Chapter's drive of bringing the ship permanently to the great city of New York!

The Conservancy continues its efforts to publicizing the plight and potential of the SS United States through the media. Recent successes include:

Conservancy president Susan Gibbs and executive director Dan McSweeney were interviewed by Paul Perrello on Metro Networks-Westwood One outside of Philadelphia on August 10th. Dan McSweeney was interviewed by host Tommy B at KBUL radio in Billings, Montana on and on the "Steve Fast Show" in Bloomington, Indiana on July 14. Susan Gibbs was interviewed by Chris Brochon with WFLO in Farmville, VA on July 21. These interviews focused on the Conservancy's efforts to save the SS United States and Turner Publishing's re-issue of Frank Braynard's classic history of the ship, The Big Ship. For book ordering information, click here.

Philadelphia City Paper and blogger Meg Augustin published a great article about the SS United States' original mid-century modern interiors. "This was the ship Don Draper would have taken across the Atlantic," writes Augustin, referencing the main character of AMC's hit show Mad Men, which takes place in the early 1960s. The article also outlines some of the Conservancy's future plans for the ship. Conservancy president Susan Gibbs is quoted in the article, saying, "We hope to combine the iconic features with something fresh and new - just like the ship did in its day." You can read the full Philadelphia City Paper article here.

Greg Shutters, Communications Associate for the SS United States Conservancy was recently profiled in a Patch.com story in his hometown of Fox Point, WI. The article details the history of the SS United States, the efforts to save her, Shutters' recent work with the Conservancy and the path that brought him to the ship in the first place. Shutters, 24, hopes that his work for the SS United States will get more young people interested in the ship and the efforts to preserve her for the 21st century and beyond. You can read the full article here.

Noted maritime artist and Conservancy supporter Bob Semler was recently featured in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Semler has been a great friend of the Conservancy's over the years and graciously contributed a beautiful image of the SS United States to our 2010 calendar. You can read the full article here.

This beautiful image of the SS United States is now available for sale through artist James Flood's website. The artist has pledged a generous portion of each sale to support the ship and the SS United States Conservancy. Flood, who recently joined the Conservancy's Blue Riband Council, donated the original painting to the Conservancy and we plan to display this masterpiece prominently aboard the refurbished vessel.

The painting depicts the SS United States departing the historic towers of downtown Manhattan in the early years of her career, her vast hull gleaming in the late afternoon sun. The Conservancy's limited edition prints will be signed by the artist, numbered, and documented. These giclée prints are individually hand printed using durable acid-free art paper (exceeding density of 250 gsm), museum quality canvas and UV-stable inks. The print size is 18" x 24" and the image size is 14.5" x 22". You can order prints here.

Richard O'Leary Memoir features the SS United States

Richard O'Leary, a former officer aboard the SS United States, has just published his memoirs, One with the Sea: An Inspiring Rags-to-Riches Saga of the Son of an Irish Immigrant. O'Leary served as an officer on the Big U from 1957 until 1962 and made 254 trans-Atlantic crossings aboard the vessel. He knew William Fancis Gibbs, the SS United States' designer, as well as Commodore John Anderson, the ship's longest-serving master, and admired them both greatly. As his book describes, life as a deck officer was challenging. Social life was limited, although after three years, officers were allowed to watch movies in the first-class theater! Upon leaving the Big U, O'Leary served as Commandant of Mishipmen at the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point and then later moved to Norfolk, VA, where he became the assistant general manager of the Norfolk Port and Industrial Authority. In 1972, he founded Cruise Ventures Inc. and served as CEO and board chair for 34 years. His 2,500-employee company in 55 offices in a dozen states owned and operated "Spirit" harbor cruises in a number of major cities including New York, Norfolk, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle and Philadelphia. O'Leary feels strongly that the SS United States must be saved for future generations and the Conservancy looks forward to benefiting from O'Leary's considerable business acumen and experience as we continue to advance redevelopment options for the vessel.

Over the past few months, the Conservancy has completely redeveloped its presence on online social media, giving us new ways to connect with potential supporters of the SS United States. Be sure to join us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest in developments from the Conservancy as well as discussions, photos from the ship, photos of Conservancy events, and fun ship related trivia!